Grilled Kingfish Head (Kingfish Kabutoyaki) is a simple dish that uses only salt as a seasoning. You just sprinkle salt over the fish head and grill it. The flesh you get from the head and collar is so tasty and the cost of 1 head is pretty low considering the amount of meat you can get.
See the video that shows where to find delicious meat.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- ½ kingfish head (about 500g/1.1lb, note 1)
- 10g/0.4oz salt (note 2)
- A lemon wedge (optional)
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Heat the oven grill to 200°C/392°F (note 3).
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Rinse the head and collar, removing the scales if you find any. If the head came with gills along the collar, remove them.
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Pat-dry the fish head with paper towels.
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Sprinkle salt on both sides of the fish head, putting slightly more salt on the skin side.
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Place a rack on a tray lined with aluminium foil, and put the fish head on the rack, cut side up (note 4).
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Place the rack with the fish head under the grill. The distance between the heat and the fish head should be about 10cm/4”.
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Cook for about 8 minutes, turn it over and cook for further 5 minutes (note 5). The surface of the skin should have charred patches.
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Transfer the fish head to a serving plate, skin side up, with a lemon wedge if using.
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Refer to the section in the post, Eating Grilled Kingfish Head and the video, to see where the delicious meats are.
1. I bought a whole head with collars, which weighed 1kg/2.2lb, and asked the fish shop to vertically halve the head.
2. This is 2% of the weight of ½ a head, which is just right for Kabutoyaki.
3. Instead of the oven grill, you can use a BBQ or grill pan.
4. Kabutoyaki is served showing the skin side up on the plate. This is the reason why I cook the cut side first so that the skin side gets nicely charred crispy patches on it.
5. If your fish head is smaller/larger, the time required to cook through the fish head will be less/more.
6. Nutrition per 100g/3.5oz of kingfish meat. Sodium is higher than actual intake since it is assumed that all the salt sprinkled over the fish was consumed.
serving: 102g calories: 146kcal fat: 5.2g (7%) saturated fat: 1.3g (7%) trans fat: 0.0g polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g monounsaturated fat: 2g cholesterol: 55mg (18%) sodium: 814mg (35%) carbohydrates: 0g (0%) dietary fibre: 0g (0%) sugar: 0g protein: 23g vitamin D: 0mcg (0%) calcium: 23mg (2%) iron: 0.5mg (3%) potassium: 420mg (9%)